An Early List of Computer Acronyms

(Use "Ctrl F" or "Apple F" to type in the acronym and "find" what you're looking for.)

AAL ATM Adaptation Layer
AARP AppleTalk Address Resolution Protocol
ABM Asynchronous Balance Mode (HDLC)
ABR Available Bit Rate
AC Access Control (IEEE)
ACF Access Control Field (DQDB)
ACK Acknowledgment
ADM Add/Drop Multiplexer
ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Links
AIS Alarm Indication Signal (SONET)
ANI Automatic Number Identification
ANS American National Standards
ANSI American National Standards Institute
API Application Programming Interface
APS Automatic Protection Switching
ARM Asynchronous Response Mode (HDLC)
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
Async Asynchronous
ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode
AU Access Unit (DQDB)
AUI Attachment Unit Interface (Ethernet 802.3)
B8ZS Bipolar with 8 Zero Substitution
BCC Block Check Characters
BCD Binary Coded Decimal
BECN Backward Explicit Congestion Notification (FR)
Bellcore Bell Communications Research
BER Bit Error Ratio or Rate
BGP Border Gateway Protocol
BIP Bit Interleaved Parity (8)
B-ISDN Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network
B-NT Broadband Network Terminator
BO Bit Oriented (SONET)
BOC Bell Operating Company
BOM Beginning of Message (DQDB)
BootP Bootstrap Protocol
bps Bits per second or bytes per second
BRI Basic Rate Interface (ISDN)
BSC IBMs Binary Synchronous Communications protocol
B-TA Broadband Terminal Adapter (ATM)
B-TE Broadband Terminal Equipment (ATM)
CAD/CAM Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing
CAN Customer Access Node (SMDS)

CBDS Connectionless Broadband Data Service
CBEMA Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association
CBR Constant Bit Rate
CCI Carrier-to-Carrier Interface
CCITT Consultative Committee International Telegraph & Telephone
CD CountDown counter (DQDB)
CE Connection Endpoint
CEPT Conference on European Post & Telegraph
CIR Committed Information Rate (FR)
CL Connectionless (SONET)
CLEC Competitive Local Exchange Carrier
CLLM Consolidated Link Layer Management (FR)
CLNP Connectionless Layer Network Protocol
CLNS ConnectionLess Network Service (OSI)
CLSF ConnectionLess Server Function (ITU-T)
CMIP Common Management Interface Protocol (ISO)
CMIS Common Management Information Service (ISO)
CMISE CMIS Element (ISO)
CMT Connection Management (FDDI)
CNMS Customer Network Management System
CO Central Office
COAM Customer Owned and Maintained
COCF Connection-Oriented Convergence Function (DQDB)
COM Continuation of Message (DQDB)
CONS Connection-Oriented Network Service (ITU-T)
CPE Customer Premises Equipment
C/R Command/Response Indicator or bit
CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check or Test
CS Convergence Sublayer (DQDB)
CSMA/CD Carrier-Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
CSU Channel Service Unit
CTI Computer-to-telephony interface
DA Destination Address field
DAL Dedicated Access Line
DARPA Defense Advanced Research Program Agency
DARPAnet Defense Advanced Research Program Agency network
DAS Dual-Attach Station connection (FDDI)
DCE Data Communications Equipment
DCS Digital Cross-connect System
DDD Direct Distance Dialing
DDS Digital Data Service
DE Discard Eligibility (FR)
DEC Digital Equipment Corporation
DH DMPDU Header (DQDB)
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DLCI Data Link Connection Identifier (FR)
DMPDU Derived MAC PDU (DQDB)
DNIS Directory Number Information Service
DNS Distributed Naming Service

DPG Dedicated Packet Group (FDDI)
DoD Department of Defense
DQDB Distributed Queue Dual Bus (IEEE)
DS0 Digital Signal Level 0
DS1 Digital Signal Level 1
DS3 Digital Signal Level 3
DSAP Destination Service Access Point (LLC)
DSG Default Slot Generator (DQDB)
DSP Digital Signal Processor
DSU Data Service Unit
DT DMPDU trailer (DQDB)
DTE Data Terminal Equipment
DTMF Dual Tone MultiFrequency
DVMRP Distance Vector MulticaRouting Protocol
DXC Digital Cross-Connect
DXI Data Exchange Interface (SMDS, ATM)
E1 European Transmission Level 1
E3 European Transmission Level 3
EA Extended Address
ECN Explicit Congestion Notification (FR)
ECSA Exchange Carriers Standards Association
ED End Delimiter (IEEE 802)
EDI Electronic Data Interchange (or document interchange)
EGP Exterior Gateway Protocol
EGRP Exterior Gateway Routing Protocol
EIA Electronics Industries Association
EIGRP Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol
EIR Excess Information Rate
EMA Enterprise Management Architecture (DEC)
EOM End Of Message
EOT End Of Transmission
ES End System (OSI)
ESF Extended SuperFrame
ES-IS End System-to-Intermediate System protocol (OSI)
ETB End of Transmission Block
ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
ETX End of Text
F Flag
FC Frame Control field (FDDI)
FCS Frame Check Sequence (FR)
FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface (ANSI)
FDDI-II Fiber Distributed Data Interface Version II
FDM Frequency Division Multiplexing
FEBE Far End Block Error
FEC Forward Error Correction
FECN Forward Explicit Congestion Notification (FR)
FERF Far End Reporting Failure
FIFO First In, First Out
FM Frequency Modulation

FOIRL Fiber-Optic InterRepeater Link (Ethernet 802.3)
fps Frames per second
FR Frame Relay
FRAD Frame Relay Assembler/Disassembler, or Access Device
FS Frame Status field (FDDI)
FT1 Fractional T1
FTP File Transfer Protocol
Gbit Gigabits (billions of bits)
Gbps Gigabits per second (109 bps)
GFC Generic Flow Control
GFID General Format Identifier
GFI General Format Identifier (X.25)
GGP Gateway-Gateway Protocol (DoD)
GOS Grade of Service
GOSIP Government Open System Interconnection Profile
GUI Graphical User Interface
HCS Header Check Sequence (DQDB)
HDTV High Definition TeleVision
HDLC High-Level Data Link Control (ISO)
HEC Header Error Control
HOB Head of Bus (DQDB) A or B
HSRP Hot Standby Routing Protocol
HSSI High-Speed Serial Interface
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
HTTP Hypertext Trasfer Protocol
Hz Hertz or cycles per second
ICF Isochronous Convergence Function (DQDB)
ICIP Inter-Carrier Interface Protocol (SMDS)
ICMP Internet Control Message Protocol
IDRP InterDomain Routing Protocol
IEC InterExchange Carrier
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IETF Internet Engineering Task Force
IGP Interior Gateway Protocol
IGP Interior Gateway Routing Protocol
IGRP Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (Cisco )
ILMI Interim Local Management Interface
IMPDU Initial MAC Protocol Data Unit (DQDB)
IMSSI Inter-MAN Switching System Interface (DQDB)
I-MAC Isochronous Media Access Control (FDDI)
intraLATA intraLocal Access Transport Area
ISN Initial Sequence Number (DoD)
IP Internet Protocol (DoD)
IPCP Internet Protocol Control Protocol (DoD)
IPX Internetwork Packet Exchange protocol (Novell)
IS Intermediate System (OSI)
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network
ISDU Isochronous Service Data Unit (DQDB)
IS-IS Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (OSI)

ISO International Standards Organization
ISP Internet Service Protocol
ISSI Inter-Switching System Interface (SMDS)
ISU Isochronous Service User (SMDS)
IT Integrated Technology
ITU International Telecommunications Union
ITU-T ITU - Telecommunications standardization sector
IVR Integrated Voice Recognition
IXC IntereXchange Carrier
kbit kilobit (thousands of bits)
kbps kilobits per second (103 bps)
km kilometers (103 meters)
LAN Local Area Network
LANE LAN Emulation
LAP-B Link Access Procedure - Balanced (X.25)
LAP-D Link Access Procedure - D Channel (ISDN/Frame Relay)
LAP-F Link Access Procedure - Frame Mode
LAT Local Area Transport protocol (DEC)
LATA Local Access Transport Area
LB Letter Ballot
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
LCGN Logical Channel Group Number
LCP Link Control Protocol
LEC Local Exchange Carrier
LECS LAN Emulation Configuration Server
LES LAN Emulation Server
LLC Logical Link Control (IEEE 802.X)
LME Layer Management Entity (DQDB)
LMI Local Management Interface (FR)
LSB Least Significant Bit
LT Line Termination
LTE Line Terminating Equipment (SONET)
LU Logical Unit (SNA)
m meter
MAC Media Access Control (IEEE 802.X)
MAN Metropolitan Area Network (DQDB, FDDI)
Mbit Megabits (millions of bits)
Mbps Megabits per second (106 bps)
MCF MAC Convergence Function (DQDB)
MCP MAC Convergence Protocol (DQDB)
MHz Megahertz
MIB Management Information Base (SNMP)
MIC Media Interface Connector (FDDI)
MID Message IDentifier (DQDB), Multiplexing IDentifier (ATM)
MIPS Millions of Instructions Per Second
MMF Multimode Fiber
MOP Maintenance and Operation Protocol (DEC)
MOSPF Multicast Open Shortest Path First
MPEG Motion Picture Encoding Group

MPOA MultiprotocolOver ATM
ms millisecond (one-thousandth of a second, 10-3 seconds)
ms microsecond (10-6 second)
MSAP MAC Service Access Point (SMDS)
MSB Most Significant Bit
MSDU MAC Service Data Unit (SMDS)
MSS MAN Switching System (SMDS)
MTU Maximum Transmission Unit
MUX Multiplexer
NANP North American Numbering Plan
NBP Name Binding Protocol
NCP Network Control Protocol or Point (SNA)
NE Network Element
NetBIOS Network Basic Input/Output System protocol
NFS Network File Server
nm nanometer (10-9 meter)
NIC Network Interface Card
NMP Network Management Process (SMDS)
NMS Network Management System or Station
NNI Network-Node Interface (SONET)
NNI Network-to-Network Interface (FR)
NOS Network Operating System
NP Network Performance
NPA Numbering Plan Area
NRM Normalized Response Mode (ISO)
NRZ Non-return to zero
NRZI Non-return to zero invert ones
ns nanosecond (10-9 second)
NSAP Network Service Access Point
NTx Network Termination x (where X = 1, 2, ...)
OAM Operations and Maintenance
OC-N Optical Carrier Level N (SONET)
OCR Optical Character Recognition
OH Overhead
OID Object Identifier (SNMP)
OOF Out of Frame
ONA Open Network Architecture
OS Operating System
OSI Open Systems Interconnection
OSI CLNS Connectionless Network System (OSI)
OSIRM OSI Reference Model
OSPF Open Shortest Path First
OTC Operating Telephone Company
PA Prearbitrated segment or slot (DQDB)
PABX Private Automatic Branch Exchange
PAD Packet Assembler/Disassembler (X.25)
PAF Prearbitrated Function (DQDB)
PBX Private Branch Exchange
PCN Personal Communications Network

PCR Peak Cell Rate
PCS Personal Communications Services
PDC Packet Data Channel (FDDI)
PDH Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy
PDN Public Data Network
PDS Packet Driver Specification for public domain
PDU Protocol Data Unit (IEEE)
Ph-SAP Physical layer SAP (DQDB)
PHY Physical layer standard (FDDI)
PID Protocol IDentification
PIM Protocol Independent Multicast
Ping Packet Internet Groper
PIR Protocol Independent Routing
PL PAD Length (DQDB)
PLCP Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (DQDB)
PM Performance Monitoring
PMD Physical Layer Medium Dependent standard (FDDI)
POH Path Overhead (SONET)
POI Path Overhead Identifier (DQDB)
PON Passive Optical Network
PoP Point of Presence
POTS Plain Old Telephone Service
PPP Point-to-Point Protocol (Internet)
Pps Packets per second
PRI Primary Rate Interface (ISDN)
PSPDN Packet-Switched Public Data Network
PT Payload Type
PTE Path-Terminating Equipment (PTE)
PTT Postal, Telegraph & Telephone Ministry/Administration
PU Physical Unit (SNA)
PVC Permanent Virtual Circuit or Channel (FR, X.25)
QA Queued Arbitrated (DQDB) segment, slot, access function
QAF Queued Arbitrated Function (DQDB)
QoS Quality of Service
QPSX Queued Packet and Synchronous Exchange
RBOC Regional Bell Operating Company
RCP Remote Console Protocol (DEC)
RDI Remote Defect Indication (ATM)
REJ Reject frame
RFC Request for Comments
RIP Routing Information Protocol
RISC Reduced Instruction Set Computer
RJ E Remote J ob Entry
RMT Ring Management (FDDI)
RNR Receive Not Ready
RQ Request Counter (DQDB)
RR Receive Ready frame
RSVP Resource Reservation Protocol
RTMP Routing and Management Protocol (Apple)

RTP Routing Update Protocol
s second
SA Source Address field
SAP Service Access Point (ISO)
SAPI Service Access Point Identifier (ISO)
SAR Segmentation and Re-assembly (ATM)
SAS Single-Attach Station connection (FDDI)
SD Start Delimiter
SDH Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (ITU-T)
SDLC Synchronous Data Link Control protocol (IBM)
SDU Service Data Unit (DQDB)
SES Severely Errored Seconds
SF SuperFrame
SIG SMDS Interest Group
SIP SMDS Interface Protocol (SMDS)
SIR Sustained Information Rate (SMDS)
SMDS Switched Multimegabit Data Service
SMF Single-Mode Fiber
SMT System Management protocol (FDDI)
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
SN Sequence Number
SNA System Network Architecture (IBM)
SNAP SubNetwork Access Protocol (SMDS)
SNI Subscriber Network Interface (SMDS)
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol (DoD)
SOH Section Overhead
SONET Synchronous Optical Network (ANSI)
SPE Synchronous Payload Envelope (SONET)
SPF Shortest Path First protocol
SPM FDDI-to-SONET Physical Layer Mapping standard
SQL Structured Query Language
SREJ Select Reject frame
SRT Source Route Transparent protocol
SS Switching System (SMDS)
SSAP Source Service Access Point (LLC)
SSCOP Service-Specific Connection Oriented Protocol (ATM)
SSCS Service-Specific Convergence Sublayer (ATM)
STE Section Terminating Equipment (SONET)
STM Synchronous Transfer Mode or Station Management (SDH)
STM-n Synchronous Transport Module level n (SDH)
STP Shielded Twisted Pair
STP Spanning Tree Protocol (IEEE 802.1d)
STS-n Synchronous Transport Signal Level n (SONET)
STS-Nc Concatenated Synchronous Transport Signal Level N
SVC Switched Virtual Circuit or Signaling Virtual Channel
SYN Synchronous Idle
t time
TA Terminal Adapter
TAPI Telephony Application Program Interface

TC Transmission Convergence sub-layer of PHY layer (ATM)
TCP Transmission Control Protocol (DoD)
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (DoD)
TDM Time Division Multiplexing
TDMA Time Division Multiple Access
TE Terminal Equipment
TP Transport Protocol (CCITT)
TP4 Transport Protocol Class 4 (ISO)
TR Technical Report
TSAPI Telephony Services Application Programmers Interface
UBR Unspecified Bit Rate
UDP User Datagram Protocol (DoD)
UNI User-to-Network Interface
UNMA Unified Network Management Architecture (AT&T)
UTP Unshielded Twisted Pair
VBR Variable Bit Rate
VC Virtual Channel or Virtual Call
VCC Virtual Channel Connection
VCI Virtual Channel or Circuit Identifier (DQDB)
VC-n Virtual Container-n (SDH)
VLSI Very Large Scale Integration
VP Virtual Path (ATM)
VPI Virtual Path Identifier (ATM)
VPN Virtual Private Network
VT Virtual Tributary (SONET)
VTx VT of size x (currently x = 1.5, 2, 3, 6)
VTx-Nc Concatenated Virtual Tributary (SONET)
WAN Wide Area Network
XNS Xerox Network Systems protocol (XEROX)
ZIP Routing and Management protocol (Apple)

Reprinted: This information is not intended for use without professional advice.
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